Method of making projectiles



Jan. 12, 1960 e. A. LYON METHOD OF MAKING PROJECTILES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 28. 1953 1 I I I I P Q $20 .2 4/erZ 4 022 M Jan. 12, 1960 e. A. LYON 2,920,374

METHOD OF MAKING PROJECTILES Filed Oct. 28. 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 fig 5 EYVEZYAUF evcye 4/ r/ 41 /2 Jan. 12, 1960 G. A LYON 2,920,374

METHOD OF MAKING PROJECTILES Filed Oct. 28, 1953 s Sheets-Sheet 3 2,92%,3'3'4- Patented Jan. 12, l fifl METHOD OF MAKING PROJECTILES George Albert Lyon, Detroit, Mich. Application October 28, 1953, Serial No. 388,819 1 Claim. (Cl. 291.21)

The present invention relates to improvements in ordnance projectiles and the manufacture thereof, and is more particularly concerned with making head shells for projectiles.

An important object of the present invention is to provide an improved method of making projectile head shells by cupping and drawing rolled metal slabs or disks.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved method of making steel projectile head shells.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus for drawing projectile head shells.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved one piece draw projectile head shell structure.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following de tailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view through a rolled metal blank adapted for cupping and drawing into a projectile head shell structure;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional View through the blank after an initial cupping operation;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view through the blank following another cupping operation;

Figure 4 is a transverse, longitudinal sectional View through the same blank following an initial drawing operation; 7

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view through a drawing die apparatus showing the blank in a subsequent stage of drawing;

Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the partially completed head shell following an additional drawing step; V

Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the partially completed head shell, after a contracting operation thereon; and

Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view through the completed projectile head shell.

In accordance with the present invention, a disk of rolled metal such as steel of suitable grade for drawing and of appropriate thickness cut from a slab to the proper size such as a circular or other suitable geometrically shaped blank 16 (Fig. l) is initially cupped as shown in dash outline in Fig. l and in run outline in Fig. 2. There- .by is provided a fairly shallow cup having a broad base 11 and a short vertical annular wall 12. The blank is then subjected to a second cupping operation which reduces the diameter of the cup and thereby of the base 11 and correspondingly increases the length of the wall 12 as depicted in dash outline in Fig. 2 and in full outline in Fig. 3.

Following the cupping operations, the elongated cup is subjected to a shallow draw in which the diameter of the cylindrical wall 12 is substantially reduced and the wall somewhat elongated as shown in dash outline in Fig. 3 and in full outline in Fig. 4. The cupping and first but greater than the inside draw are effected in any suitable punch and die mechanism;

Drawing of the blank 10, now in rudimentary shell form, continues with successive elongation drawing passes wherein a substantial longitudinally intermediate portion of the cylindrical wall of the shell is elongated while the terminal portions of the shell are maintained in a thickened condition for eventual respective heading and nosing operations. To this end, following the initial drawing which results in the shell formation depicted in full outline in- Fig. 4, the shell is subjected to a drawing pass which is preferably accomplished in a punch and die mechanism as shown in Fig. 5. This comprises a female die block 13 having therein a drawing bore 14 which throughout its major extent is of a cylindrical diameter somewhat less than the initial draw diameter of the shell, diameter of the shell following the initial draw. Cooperative with the die block is a male die member or punch 15 which throughout its major extent is of a cylindrical diameter the sameas the inside diameter-of the shell 10 following the initial draw. By preference such inside diameter is maintained throughout the drawing operations throughout the major extent of the shell.

For attaining reduction in the thickness of the shell wall 12 while maintaining a thickened condition of the base end portion of the wall 12, the upper or mouth end portion of-the bore 14, as seen in Fig. 5 is provided for a substantial though limited extent with a larger diameter portion 17 which maybe of substantially the same diameteras the outside diameter of the shell following the initial draw. At entrance into the larger diameter bore portion 17 an annular beveled, preferably substan tially bell mouth entry surface 18 may be provided. From the larger diameter bore portion 17 a low pitch progressively constricting taper at 18 leads into the main smaller diameter cylindrical portion of the bore 14. Through this arrangement, as the shell 10 is driven into the bore 14 by the punch 15, the base end portion of the shell wall 12 will, without undue stress or strain contract inwardly about a reduced diameter nose portion 19 on the punch member which engages within the base end of the shell and has a short, medium pitch flaring shoulder 20 at juncture with the major diameter portion of the punch. The result is a relatively thick base end longitudinal wall portion 21 which merges on a tapering flared shoulder 22 complementary to the punch shoulder 20, with the internal diameter of the major extent of the shell wall 12 conforming to the major extent diameter of the punch 15.

After the punch 1'5 has driven the base end portion of the shell down past the die taper 18 beyond the punch nose 19 and the tapered shoulder 20, drawing elongation of the shell wall 12 occurs until the base 11 of the shell comes into flattening engagement with the flat tip of a stripper punch 23 operative within a bore 24 concentric in the bottom of the die block bore 14 and to which the bottom of the bore 14 radius tapers as indicated at 25. A complementary flat tip face 27 on the punch nose 19 opposes the flat tip of the ejector or stripper punch 23, and a radius bevel 28 about the edge of the nose tip generally complementaryto the female die bore radius 25 maintains a predetermined uniformity of thickness in the thickened base end portion of the shell 10 at the completion of the relative drawing stroke action of the punch 15 and the die member 13.

Furthermore, at completion of the draw in the punch and die mechanism 15, 13 the upper end portion of the shell 10 has an externally thickened collar 29 of external diameter complementary to the larger diameter portion 17 of the die bore. Complementary to the die bore taper,

. 3' a low pitch shoulder 30 tapers from the outside diameter of the collar 29 to the reduced external diameter of the main portion of the shell wall 12.

For ready comparison, the shell at completion of the draw in the die and punch assembly 13, 1-5, as shown in full outline in Fig. 5, is depicted in superimposed relation in dash outline upon the full line showing of the shell in the initially drawn condition, in Fig. 4.

In a final elongation draw the shell 10 is subjected to the action of a push and die mechanism substantially like that shown in Fig. 5, but appropriately modified to attain the form depicted in full line in Fig. 6 from the drawn shape of the previous draw as indicated in the superimposed dash outline form. To this end, the outside diameter of the principal wall portion 12 of the shell is further reduced in diameter while maintaining the inside diameter thereof, but further inwardly contracting the lower thickened portion 21 and increasing the length of the shoulder 22. During this, the outside diameter of the base wall is also conformably decreased as shown. At the same time the length of the external tapering shoulder leading to the thickened collar 29 is increased and the shoulder may be shaped to large radius concave contour. The length and thickness of the collar 29 preferably remain the same as in the previous draw.

Following the last elongation draw, the collar 29 is contracted as shown in Fig. 7 to an external diameter cylindrical with the remainder of the shell wall Thereby the collar 29 is now thickened toward the inside of the nose portion of the shell. At the same time, the shoulder 30, which may serve a useful purpose in easing the nose portion of the shell through a contracting die,

is erased and a generally upwardly tapering shoulder 31 1" provides an internal counterpart thereof as a result of the tapering thickness of the wall 12 toward the now' internal collar 29.

Finally, as depicted in Fig. 8, the nose end portion of the shell is nose tapered as indicated at 32 and the nose end collar 29 is internally machined as shown for connection thereinto of a nose fuse plug. By a heading machining operation, the base wall thickening 21 externally rabbet grooved as shown at 33 and provided with external threads 34 for connection of the shell 10 to a tail structure or a body shell to be connected behind the shell 10 which in such case would provide a head shell for a projectile. The outer portion of the base 11 may befaced off to provide a broader fiat face 35 thereon.

It will be understood, of course, that between or following the various drawing and shaping operations, ap-

propriate annealing or stress relief heatings of the shell 10 may be elfected as desirable in order to attain the desired results.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be efiected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

1 claim as my invention: V

In a method of making a projectile shell, cupping a metallic blank of substantial thickness, elongating the tubular wall of the cupped blank while reducing the overall outside and inside diameters thereof but maintaining substantially the same thickness as the base wall, drawing the tubular wall of the blank as thus elongated into substantially elongated reduced outside diameter form while maintaining the inside diameter substantially the same as said elongated but same thickness form except 4 V an adjacent to the base wall and there reducing the inside diameter of the base wall ,toprovide a thickened area joining the base wall, duringsaid outside diameter reduction of said tubular wall maintaining the free end portion of the tubular wall at the starting thickness to thereby provide a substantial external thickened collar and joining said collar to the reduced diameter portion of the tubular wall by a tapered shoulder, further elongating the reduced diameter portion of the tubular wall while reducing further the outside diameter but still maintaining the inside diameter the same, during such further elongation and reduction in diameter also reducing the outside diameter of the base walland the joining internally thickened portion of the tubular wall to a conformable outside diameter with the remainder of the reduced diameter tubular wall portion, during such further reduction in outside diameter increasing the length of the taper joining said externally thickened free end collar while to the remainder of the tubular wall while reducing the outside diameter of the free end portion of the tubular .wall to the same diameter as the remainder of the outside diameter of the tubular wall, taper nosing the free end portion of the tubular wall including said thickened inwardly directed collar portion thereof, machining the inside diameter of the inwardly thickened collar portion of the nosed free-end of the shell to receive a nose member in assembly therewith, and machining a rabbet groove in the base end portion of the shell externally about the 'base wall and in said thickened portion of the tubular wall that joins the base wall and externally threading within the rabbet groove to receive a connecting member.

A References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 159,883 Bayliss Feb. 16, 1875 224,765 Bennett Feb. 24, 1880 1,162,183 Mixsell Nov. 30, 1915 1,412,794 Penfield Apr. 11, 1922 1,709,328 Stover Apr. 16, 1929 1,773,741 McNifl Aug. 26, 1930 1,892,158 Matthews Dec. 27, 1932 2,120,913 Studler June 14, 1938 2,150,708 Andrews et al. Mar. 14, 1939 2,244,954 Lenz et al. June 10, 1941 2,265,652 Murray et al. Dec. 9, 1941 2,357,110 Heineman Aug. 29, 1944 2,360,354 Lyon Oct. 17, 1944 2,404,304. Layton July 16, 1946 2,530,934 Barton et al. Nov. 21, 1950 2,539,807 Brandes Jan. 30, 1951 2,668,345 Eckstein Feb. 9, 1954 2,698,268 Lyon Dec. 28, 1954 2,700,906 Allen Feb. 1, 1955 2,748,932 Kaul ..June 5, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,002,196 France Oct. 31, 1951 OTHER REFERENCES 

